评论
打印
'All of 'em, Ma'am?' said Paul.
“它们全都是吗，夫人？”保罗问道。
'Yes,' returned Miss Blimber; 'and Mr Feeder will look you out some more very soon, if you are as studious as I expect you will be, Dombey.'
“是的，”布林伯小姐回答道，“如果您能像我所期望的那样用功好学的话，那么菲德先生不久将会为您再找些书来，董贝。”
'Thank you, Ma'am,' said Paul.
“谢谢您，夫人，”保罗说道。
'I am going out for a constitutional,' resumed Miss Blimber; 'and while I am gone, that is to say in the interval between this and breakfast, Dombey, I wish you to read over what I have marked in these books, and to tell me if you quite understand what you have got to learn. Don't lose time, Dombey, for you have none to spare, but take them downstairs, and begin directly.'
“我出去搞点健身运动，”布林伯小姐继续说道；“当我出去的时候，那就是说，从现在到吃早饭的这段时间里，董贝，我希望您把我在书中做了记号的地方念一下，告诉我您是不是完全理解您所必须学习的东西。别浪费时间，董贝，因为您已没有什么多余的时间了，但是请您把它们拿到楼下去，立刻开始。”
'Yes, Ma'am,' answered Paul.
“是的，夫人，”保罗回答道。
There were so many of them, that although Paul put one hand under the bottom book and his other hand and his chin on the top book, and hugged them all closely, the middle book slipped out before he reached the door, and then they all tumbled down on the floor. Miss Blimber said, 'Oh, Dombey, Dombey, this is really very careless!' and piled them up afresh for him; and this time, by dint of balancing them with great nicety, Paul got out of the room, and down a few stairs before two of them escaped again. But he held the rest so tight, that he only left one more on the first floor, and one in the passage; and when he had got the main body down into the schoolroom, he set off upstairs again to collect the stragglers. Having at last amassed the whole library, and climbed into his place, he fell to work, encouraged by a remark from Tozer to the effect that he 'was in for it now;' which was the only interruption he received till breakfast time. At that meal, for which he had no appetite, everything was quite as solemn and genteel as at the others; and when it was finished, he followed Miss Blimber upstairs.
可是书实在真多，因此虽然保罗把一只手伸到最底下的那本下面，另一只手和下巴按着最顶上的那本，把它们全都紧紧地抱着，可是在他还没有走到门口的时候，中间的那本书却滑了出来，然后它们全都滚到地板上。布林伯小姐说道，“啊，董贝，董贝，这真是太不小心啦！”然后又重新给他堆起来；这一次，凭借着十分细致巧妙的功夫把它们搞平衡，保罗走出了房间，并且走下几层楼以后，才有两本书又脱离出去。但是他把其余的书抱得很紧，所以只在二层楼掉下一本，在走廊里掉下一本；他把成为主体的那些书抱进教室以后，就动身上楼去捡回那些半途失落的。当他终于把所有的书本都收集齐全以后，他就爬到他的座位上，开始学习起来；托泽说了一句大意是“现在他开始了”的话，对他进行鼓励。直到吃早饭之前，再也没有谁来打断他。吃早饭的时候（他对早饭没有胃口），一切都跟其他各餐一样严肃而文雅地进行； 早饭完毕以后，他跟随着布林伯小姐上楼去。
'Now, Dombey,' said Miss Blimber. 'How have you got on with those books?'
“喂，董贝，”布林伯小姐说道，“这些书您读得怎么样了？”
